What would you do if you realized a child you have been raising is not your biological child and it was confirmed with paternity testing? But then you were still ordered to pay child support? A paternity test can verify if there is a biological relationship between a father and child. Many times even after the paternity test results are released, men who are excluded are required to continue supporting the child financially. Many states in the U.S. indicate this is in the best interest of the child.
One man’s paternity test story
James MacLetchie of the U.K tells his story about his fight against the system when a paternity test was denied by the mother, yet he could still prove that he could not be the child’s biological father. He had medical evidence that he was not able to father a child.
Mr. MacLetchie dated the child’s mother for awhile, and when she became pregnant, even though he knew he could not be the father, he put his name on the birth certificate. Why he did this is unknown. When the couple split, the CSA (Child Support Agency) went after him for 15 years to pay child support. The mother refused to allow a paternity test and maintained Mr. MacLetchie was her child’s father. Even without paternity testing he could still prove otherwise, but the information fell on deaf ears.
Mother denies paternity testing
Throughout the ordeal, Mr. MacLetchie lost his home, had his drivers license taken away, and threatened to be taken to jail. All of this has left him broke. Mr. MacLetchie says in one interview: “If a presumed father refuses to take a DNA test, the CSA concludes he is the father and forces him to pay maintenance. Should the same law not apply in reverse if the mother refuses to take a DNA test-shouldn’t the CSA conclude her claim is false without the father having to go through the expense and trauma or court action?’
Mr. MacLetchie wants to see changes made with the CSA after the drama they put him through for 15 years, and after taking 40% of his earnings. It’s only now that the CSA will allow the evidence to be seen that proves he is not the biological father-now that the child is an adult. Mr. MacLetchie wants to change the law that a paternity test can be done even without the Mother’s permission in the U.K.
What do you think?
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Wanda Black says
My daughter gave her son over to the dad. He has had the child for approximately 8 years. Recently he claims that he had a paternity test done and it was determined that he is not the father of the child. can he still keep custody of my grandson, even though he is not the father.
Amber says
Hi Wanda,
I am so sorry to hear about your situation. Because every state is different we always recommend that you contact a family law attorney in your area to determine what child custody laws are for your state. You may also want to ask for a legal paternity test to verify his claims. A legal test collection of the DNA samples is done by a collector so there is no question as to who’s samples are actually being tested.
Wanda Black says
We live in Detroit.
emma says
Ok I have a 5yr. And around the time I conceived him my boyfriend and I split up for a week. He went an slept with some chick he met. I was hurt and mad so I did sleep with a guy one time. Then I found out I was having a baby the doctor said I was a month or so preg. That would be 2 to 3 weeks before I slept with this guy. Well my boyfriend said he mailed off for a test to see if my son was his or not with out me there or knowing about it. I did ask him to take one with all 3 of us and he won’t. Are mail in tests really true or do you need all 3 to be sure. I need to know for all of us. And if my boyfriend got ripped off and lied to. Cause my son looks just like my boyfriend. He has never left my sons side or told him he wasn’t but I will always wonder if he is or not. My boyfriend and I are no longer together. But he takes care of my son like he really is his. Takes him on weekends everything. My son has his dads name. I need to know if a mother has to be there for a test to be done or not. I love that he is there for my son if he really isn’t his. Yet I only slept with one other guy whom I don’t know where he is. So only my boyfriend would be able to do this test to see. I don’t want him to feel or pay for anything that he doesn’t have to. But he refuses to take a test from state or hospital with me.
Amber says
Hello Emma,
Thank you for your question. Yes, the paternity tests can be accurate without the mother testing. You want to keep in mind that the mail in paternity test restults are personal tests for peace of mind and are not admissible in court. This is because we can not verify whose sample we actually tested. The samples that are sent in are tested and the results are very accurate. If you are still unsure I would recommend a legal paternity test (where all participants are collected by a third party to verify the correct people are sending in samples. The lab completing the test can help you set this up) and you test with them.
I hope this answers your question…if not feel free to let me know.
Mariah Horn says
When I was about 1yr old, my father left and he denied me and my twin brother of being his children. Its has been 19yrs sence then and he has not done anything to see us nor has he done any child support for my mother. I’m not really sure what I’m asking at the moment, haha. Well i guess what I really want to know is that is there anything I or my mother can do now? It has been bothering me lately and I just wanted to tell someone about it, haha.
Amber says
Hi Mariah,
I am so sorry to hear about your situation. The only advice I can give is to contact an attorney in your area. Every state is different when it comes to child support laws. You are in a tough situation, and I really hope everything works out for you and your Mom.
amy says
my boyfriends ex partner is refusing a DNA test as we think the child is not his , the child is 18 months old ..is anything we can do?
Amber says
Hi Amy,
If you believe the child is not his, I would recommend contacting a family law attorney in your area to find out what your state laws are as far as paternity testing and what happens if he is not the biological father. Every state is different. If the mother of the child is the only legal guardian of the child and is refusing a DNA test, you will have to go through a judge to get a paternity test ordered. I really hope this helps.
Mary says
I was wondering if there is anyway to try and determine paternity if there is no idea who the father is. Like maybe if they happen to be in the system from previous tests they have taken.
Amber says
Hello Mary,
Thank you for your question, however, in order to determine a biological relationship with an alleged father and child we do need the possible alleged fathers to test with the child.
Natasha says
Hi my husbands ex gf has a 9yr daughter but i dont believe that she is his because the ex gf was still sleepn with her ex bf while she was with my hubby how do i go about having a dna test done my hubby gets very sensitive about the topic but we hv 2 lil girls and i dont want them gettn hurt with all this CRAZY DRAMA
KD says
Hi Natasha,
I would recommend a DNA paternity test. You can purchase an Identigene test at major drugstores. There are three sets of swabs in each kit. We recommend you swab mom, alleged dad and biological child. We do offer legal testing but you will need to call Identigene at 888-404-GENE so that we can set up a collector for the test and make sure all the proper identification and documents accompany the test. There is an additional fee associated with legal testing. Once we receive the swabs, you will have results in 3 business days. Please visit our website for more detailed information regarding our DNA Paternity Test.
Natasha says
My hubby says he and ex gf dated for 18 ms and ex gf says they have dated for 3yrs it doesnt add up the 9yr old was born in 2002 they claim they got together the ending of 2001 it doesnt make sense at all but i will be gettn to the bottom of this very soon
KD says
Good luck. Please let us know if we can help with testing.
Natasha says
My hubby says he and ex gf dated for 18 ms and ex gf says they have dated for 3yrs it doesnt add up the 9yr old was born in nov of 2002 they claim they got together the ending of 2001 it doesnt make sense at all but i will be gettn to the bottom of this very soon
Ed Mohr says
I am going threw the same situation. I am in court for child support and am trying to ask for a paternity test due to multiple new information that was brought into my life. I was involved in a few one night events in my younger years. As we’ll as the mother of “my child”. I was told by her one night on my way home from work that she was pregnant. I was very scared and talked with her about the situation. All for the better a beautiful baby girl was born and life went on. I have never been able to see my daughter for more than a few weekends a year since she was born… Unless I was with her mother with whom i can not stomach for more than 2 minutes. Over the years we tried and but I always came up short with mentally dealing with her ways. In that case I had to leave to maintain my own stability in an everyday life.
The end result is I am paying 1400.00 a month for one child. Which is fine because that is a simple percentage of annual earnings. What I’m not happy about is that I have just realized that I am infertile and cannot produce children. I have asked for paternity test multiple times, and most recently was denied in a court of law. Due to the effect it would have on “my daughter”. I think that either way she has the right to know. I am not saying I would leave her without support. But in any case possibly help her find her real father, and always help her in the future. The judge is saying that the only way I can get a paternity test is if I prove that I wasn’t able to have a child in the year that she became pregnant. Paternity was also denied at birth when my mother asked. I did not pursue the issue at the early stages of her life because I thought she had many of my families features and was constantly told that by her mother. I paid support and always have been there financially, but I want to know the truth
Identigene says
Hi Ed,
We are more than happy to try and assist you with your paternity needs as we know it is a very important topic. Have you tried consulting with our doctor to give you a report to prove you were not able to have children? Once the court obtains that record, we can offer you a court-admissible paternity test that is witnessed and collected by a disinterested third party. Testing costs $359 and we can have the results available 2 full business days after we receive your samples. We understand the importance of all parties knowing the truth and hope this works out for everyone involved. If you have any questions about paternity testing, please give us a call at 1-888-404-GENE, Monday-Friday 9AM-8PM ET. Thank you for your comment!